8. To Bear Witness

These stories are testament to the fact that climate justice cannot exist without social justice. The intrinsic heat, our rising temperatures, the cutting of forests, and the looting of resources, does not impact does not impact us all equally. It disproportionately burdens those already marginalized by brahminical structures and the society it produces.

These women, who toil in the sun for a meager wage, fight for their land and water and represent the human face of the climate crisis. They endure the brunt of the heat, their lives are a daily struggle for survival. Their stories remind us that the fight against climate change is also a fight for equality and justice.

As I continue my work, photographing and documenting, I am driven by the urgency to make their voices heard. Our voices heard. In their resilience and strength, I see the embodiment of a powerful truth: there can be no climate justice without social justice. And until we recognize and address the deep-seated inequalities that fuel this crisis—caste system, patriarchy and class struggle—the headlines we see will continue to obscure the human cost of our challenging times and changing climate.

While on this visual documentation project, I have come to realize that even the word “heat” is more than just rising temperatures. It is a metaphor for simmering rage. A potent force. For centuries, women, particularly those from marginalized and oppressed communities, have known this heat intimately. It is not merely about the weather, rising temperatures, or deforestation, but a deep-seated rage—a fury borne from centuries of subjugation (from brahminical patriarchy and colonization). For those of us relegated as “untouchable” or “outcastes,” heat embodies more than just discomfort; it is a symbol of our resistance in the face of systemic oppression.

This work is a symbol of my resistance.